HERO: Barry Allen, The Flash (The CW)

Comics backstory: A lightning bolt strikes a shelf of chemicals, dousing the forensic scientist and turning him into the Flash.TV turn: Introduced on Arrow, Barry (Grant Gustin) grew up obsessed with the unknown after his mother was killed by a mysterious flash of light. ”What really drives him, as much as finding his mother’s killer and freeing his father from prison, is not wanting anyone to suffer the way he did,” Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg says. Barry’s determined to use his powers for good—which means he can be selfless to a fault. Recommended reading: Kreisberg suggests anything from DC Entertainment’s Geoff Johns, including Rebirth, Flashpoint, and Rogues.